Volunteering ¦ Meaningful Travel ¦ Cultural Exchange

Volunteer with one of our charitable programs…..

We make a special effort to tailor your volunteer experience to your interests and abilities. We do not ask for any formal qualifications; just a genuine desire to help people and a willingness to experience a new culture and lifestyle. Our programs run throughout the year. We are flexible if you would like to start the program at any particular time- just let us know via the enquiry form below.

Volunteer Programs

Volunteers live with a traditional family. This provides volunteers with an opportunity to learn about all aspects of Nepali life, culture, food and people. Volunteers are expected to share items which show their own culture, customs and to share information about their home with the family and the community.

Volunteers doing this program exclusively become a member of the household, and participate in all activities including cooking, washing, working in the fields, and generally caring for the house and family. This is the best way to Experience real Nepal.

Note: Volunteers participating in most of the other programs will automatically be participating in this one as well, as they will be staying with Nepali host families.

INFO has established 14 Resource Centers in small communities to offer educational opportunities to some of the poorest regions in Nepal. The Centers, often known as Libraries, are there to help the local children improve their English and learn from the many International cultures that the volunteers bring through INFO. The children attend before and after school and educational games and singing and dancing are a great way to get into the spirit of Nepal.

Volunteers do not need teaching qualifications to partake in this program, just a passion for children and having fun! Our host families are all located within walking distance of the Resource Centers and the time spent in the village creates a real sense of community; you walk through the village everyday, you become part of their lives for a while and with the local festivals and the occasional wedding to attend there is no end to how immersed you become in village life.

There are also local schools we support who are always more than happy to receive help from international volunteers. You can give as much or as little time as you like, and classes normally revolve around a curriculum unlike the Resource Centers where you are free to make your own lesson plans and bring your own ideas and games to the children.

What you will be doing will vary in each Children’s Home. You may be required to help in other ways besides simply working with the children – for example helping with cleaning, paper recycling, gardening, teaching the house ‘mothers’ how to clean properly, doing repairs, mending clothing, planning after school activities and preparing meals. Once the children return from school, your role will be to assist and encourage them with their homework as well as play with them.

You could help the children in other areas – basic hygiene for example, like regular teeth brushing and hand washing. Games, songs and other activities will be extremely popular with the children. Some of the older children may be encouraged to develop skills that may help them in later life such as paper making, sewing or maintenance work.

You will either live within the Children’s Home complex, or be placed with our local host family within a walkable distance. As well as being very rewarding, these placements can be physically and emotionally demanding. Your main role is to be a big brother or sister to the children.

As a volunteer in the INFO Nepal Monk teaching project, you will primarily work as English instructors in the schools of a Tibetan Children’s Village. In addition to English teaching for 3-4 hours per day, volunteers will assist in other school extra curricular activities and administration. In the evening, you can organize games, drawing, singing, dancing, and other creative activities.

Morning and late evening time is free. If you love Buddhism, this is the perfect time to join meditation, rituals, prays, and songs with the Buddhist monks. This project gives you the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in Buddhist religion and lifestyle.

This is an opportunity to help in a wide range of practical village-based projects and is a nice project for a group.

Projects could be as basic as painting or plastering, however, those with additional skills may be able to help in more advanced work. Projects are usually decided upon in consultation with local communities, but you can use your initiative to suggest projects of your own. It is vital to be sensitive to the needs and wishes of the local community.

Projects are usually partly funded by the communities, our partner orgnisations and/or volunteer contributions. You’ll work with other volunteers in small groups, usually with minimal supervision. Often, you’ll also work alongside villagers, learning about traditional methods of building and working. Example projects include school repair and decoration; toilet building; drinking water projects; road drainage projects; recycling projects; stove building; and construction work on the Children’s Homes INFO directly supports.

These education projects are conducted at a very basic level, introducing the villagers to concepts and creative activities of Environmental Awareness and personal hygiene. Volunteers may also provide assistance to youth clubs or women’s groups in the community sharing their ideas, skills and knowledge about environmental issues. Example projects include: creating “green” clubs, planting a flower garden, planting trees, garbage management, recycling programs, making a smokeless stove, building a toilet pit, etc.

INFO Nepal is seeking personnel with medical background to apply for volunteer work providing basic health care to impoverished rural populations, and children of orphanages in Nepal. We encourage medical students, nurses, and medical doctors to apply.

Organize your own groups of 2-12 participants. Program start times are flexible according to your groups’ needs. This will be a cultural and sightseeing experience, as well as clinical application of medical knowledge to those in need.

Assist in the INFO Kathmandu office with paperwork, email correspondence and general administration.

Volunteers are welcome to design their own program, if they have the necessary skills and knowledge to do the tasks. Previous volunteers have participated in business development, teacher training programs, and local economic development schemes.

INFO Nepal is funded solely through the Program Fees paid by volunteers, and individual donors plus sponsorships for children of the Happy Home and Boarding School projects. INFO receives no funding from donor agencies.

Deposits:

A € 50 per group, non-refundable deposit is required to be paid in advance of your arrival date. Deposit payments can be made via Paypal. Although the deposit is non-refundable, if you want to change the program start date/program type/names of people in your group at any time, this is absolutely no problem.

Cancellation fees:

No money will be refunded for programs of 2 weeks or less duration after commencement. Longer programs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Government Registered No : 878/1999/2000Social Welfare Council Registered No : 10700